KR102340480B1 - Electronic device and method for controlling thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure includes a touch screen. and a proximity sensor overlapping a partial area of the touch screen. To detect the proximity of an object located on the upper portion of the touch screen using the proximity sensor, change the proximity sensitivity of the overlapping area of the touch screen, and detect the position of the object using the changed touch screen in the proximity sensitivity Includes configured processors.
An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure includes a housing including a first surface and a second surface facing in a direction opposite to the first surface. and a display exposed through the first surface. A touch panel disposed between the display and the second surface, the touch panel comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, based on a change in capacitance formed between the first electrode and the second electrode, a touch panel for calculating plane coordinates of a user input to the display, and including a third electrode and a fourth electrode, based on a change in capacitance formed between the third electrode and the fourth electrode, the housing and a capacitive sensor that measures the proximity between the first surface of the and an external object. Other embodiments are possible.

Description

ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THEREOF

Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an electronic device, for example, an electronic device including a touch screen, and a method for controlling the same.

Recently, various electronic devices used in real life have been advanced. In particular, with the rapid growth of the smart phone market, some or all of the functions of a smart phone are added to various electronic devices used in real life and released.

In particular, the smart phone may receive a user's touch input through a touch screen. When a user's touch input through the touch screen approaches within a preset distance (eg, 5 mm), the smart phone may determine a location on the touch screen corresponding to the user's touch input.

In addition, the smart phone is operated to detect the proximity of an object using an internal proximity sensor.

In most electronic devices, an infrared (IR) sensor is used as a proximity sensor.

The IR proximity sensor includes an IR filter that only passes infrared light on the transparent window glass of the smart phone for smooth emission of infrared light from the light source and reception of reflected infrared light.

As an example of a method of detecting the proximity of an object using an IR sensor, when infrared rays emitted through the hole of the emitter are received through the hole of the detector, the proximity of the object is determined using information about the time until the emitted infrared rays are received can do.

As described above, an object proximity sensing technology using an IR sensor is used.

However, in order to provide the IR proximity sensor, two holes having an independent space are required to prevent interference between the emitter and the detector. In this case, the two holes may act as a design constraint of the front part in manufacturing the electronic device.

In addition, when sensing the proximity of an object with a touch screen rather than an IR sensor, the proximity of an object is sensed at a far distance than the sensing distance of the touch screen due to the small sensing distance of the touch screen, or a gesture according to the movement of the object is detected. may not be recognizable.

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to providing a proximity sensing method using a proximity sensor and a touch screen.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include a touch screen; a proximity sensor overlapping a partial area of the touch screen; and detecting the proximity of the object located on the upper portion of the touch screen using the proximity sensor, changing the proximity sensitivity of the overlapping area of the touch screen, and detecting the position of the object using the changed touch screen in the proximity sensitivity It includes a processor configured to

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided an electronic device comprising: a housing including a first surface and a second surface facing in a direction opposite to the first surface; a display exposed through the first surface; A touch panel disposed between the display and the second surface, the touch panel comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, based on a change in capacitance formed between the first electrode and the second electrode, a touch panel for calculating plane coordinates of a user input to the display; and a third electrode and a fourth electrode, wherein the electrostatic capacity measures a proximity between the first surface of the housing and an external object based on a change in capacitance formed between the third electrode and the fourth electrode It is characterized in that it includes an expression sensor.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, by using a capacitive proximity sensor instead of an IR sensor as a proximity sensor, a hole for the front window of the smart phone may not be provided, thereby reducing design restrictions.

In addition, it is possible to more precisely track the location of an object by improving the proximity sensing performance of the touch screen using a proximity sensor and a touch screen, away from simple proximity recognition of an object using a capacitive proximity sensor.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device in a network environment according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
2 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
3 is a block diagram of a program module according to various embodiments of the present invention.
4 is a flowchart illustrating an object detection method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating an example of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
6A is a plan view of a touch screen and a proximity sensor according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
6B is a side view of a touch screen and a proximity sensor according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
7 is a side view illustrating a touch screen and a proximity sensor for acquiring information on an overlapping area according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
8 is a flowchart illustrating a method of acquiring information on an overlapping region according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
9A and 9B are side views illustrating an example of a touch screen and a proximity sensor for detecting an object according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an object detection method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
11 is a side view illustrating another example of a touch screen and a proximity sensor for detecting an object according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
12 is a flowchart illustrating another example of an object detection method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
13 is a plan view illustrating a touch screen for detecting a position of an object according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
14 is a plan view illustrating a touch screen for sensing movement of an object according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
15 is a side view illustrating an electronic device further including a pressure sensor according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;
16A is a block diagram illustrating an example of a detailed structure of a processor according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
16B is a block diagram illustrating another example of a detailed structure of a processor according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is not intended to limit the technology described in this document to specific embodiments, and it should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives of the embodiments of the present invention. . In connection with the description of the drawings, like reference numerals may be used for like components.

In this document, expressions such as "have," "may have," "includes," or "may include" refer to the presence of a corresponding characteristic (eg, a numerical value, function, operation, or component such as a part). and does not exclude the presence of additional features.

In this document, expressions such as "A or B," "at least one of A or/and B," or "one or more of A or/and B" may include all possible combinations of the items listed together. . For example, "A or B," "at least one of A and B," or "at least one of A or B" means (1) includes at least one A, (2) includes at least one B; Or (3) it may refer to all cases including both at least one A and at least one B.

As used herein, expressions such as "first," "second," "first," or "second," may modify various elements, regardless of order and/or importance, and refer to one element. It is used only to distinguish it from other components, and does not limit the components. For example, the first user equipment and the second user equipment may represent different user equipment regardless of order or importance. For example, without departing from the scope of the rights described in this document, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be renamed as a first component.

One component (eg, a first component) is "coupled with/to (operatively or communicatively)" to another component (eg, a second component); When referring to "connected to", it should be understood that the certain element may be directly connected to the other element or may be connected through another element (eg, a third element). On the other hand, when it is said that a component (eg, a first component) is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component (eg, a second component), the component and the It may be understood that other components (eg, a third component) do not exist between other components.

The expression "configured to (or configured to)" as used in this document, depending on the context, for example, "suitable for," "having the capacity to ," "designed to," "adapted to," "made to," or "capable of." The term “configured (or configured to)” may not necessarily mean only “specifically designed to” in hardware. Instead, in some circumstances, the expression “a device configured to” may mean that the device is “capable of” with other devices or parts. For example, the phrase "a processor configured (or configured to perform) A, B, and C" refers to a dedicated processor (eg, an embedded processor) for performing the corresponding operations, or by executing one or more software programs stored in a memory device. , may mean a generic-purpose processor (eg, a CPU or an application processor) capable of performing corresponding operations.

Terms used in this document are only used to describe specific embodiments, and may not be intended to limit the scope of other embodiments. The singular expression may include the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, may have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art described in this document. Among terms used in this document, terms defined in a general dictionary may be interpreted with the same or similar meaning as the meaning in the context of the related art, and unless explicitly defined in this document, ideal or excessively formal meanings is not interpreted as In some cases, even terms defined in this document cannot be construed to exclude embodiments of the present invention.

Electronic devices according to various embodiments of the present disclosure include, for example, a smartphone, a tablet personal computer, a mobile phone, a video phone, and an e-book reader. , desktop personal computer, laptop personal computer, netbook computer, workstation, server, personal digital assistant (PDA), portable multimedia player (PMP), MP3 player, mobile It may include at least one of a medical device, a camera, and a wearable device. According to various embodiments, the wearable device may be an accessory type (eg, a watch, ring, bracelet, anklet, necklace, eyeglass, contact lens, or head-mounted-device (HMD)), a fabric or an integrated garment (HMD). It may include at least one of: electronic clothing), body attachable (eg skin pad or tattoo), or bioimplantable (eg implantable circuit).

In some embodiments, the electronic device may be a home appliance. Home appliances are, for example, televisions, digital video disk (DVD) players, audio, refrigerators, air conditioners, vacuum cleaners, ovens, microwave ovens, washing machines, air purifiers, set-top boxes, home automation controls. panel (home automation control panel), security control panel (security control panel), TV box (eg Samsung HomeSync ^TM , Apple TV ^TM , or Google TV ^TM ), game console (eg Xbox ^TM , PlayStation ^TM ), electronic dictionary , an electronic key, a camcorder, or an electronic picture frame.

In another embodiment, the electronic device may include various medical devices (eg, various portable medical measuring devices (eg, a blood glucose monitor, a heart rate monitor, a blood pressure monitor, or a body temperature monitor), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Computed tomography (CT), imager, or ultrasound machine, etc.), navigation devices, global navigation satellite system (GNSS), event data recorder (EDR), flight data recorder (FDR), automotive infotainment ) devices, ship electronic equipment (e.g. ship navigation systems, gyro compasses, etc.), avionics, security devices, vehicle head units, industrial or domestic robots, automatic teller's machines (ATMs) in financial institutions. , point of sales (POS) in stores, or internet of things (e.g. light bulbs, sensors, electricity or gas meters, sprinkler devices, smoke alarms, thermostats, street lights, toasters) , exercise equipment, hot water tank, heater, boiler, etc.) may include at least one.

According to some embodiments, the electronic device is a piece of furniture or a building/structure, an electronic board, an electronic signature receiving device, a projector, or various measuring instruments (eg, water, electricity, gas, or a radio wave measuring device). In various embodiments, the electronic device may be a combination of one or more of the various devices described above. The electronic device according to an embodiment may be a flexible electronic device. In addition, the electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above-described devices, and may include a new electronic device according to technological development.

Hereinafter, an electronic device according to various embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this document, the term user may refer to a person who uses an electronic device or a device (eg, an artificial intelligence electronic device) using the electronic device.

1 , an electronic device 101 in a network environment 100 is described, in various embodiments. The electronic device 101 may include a bus 110 , a processor 120 , a memory 130 , an input/output interface 150 , a display 160 , and a communication module 170 . In some embodiments, the electronic device 101 may omit at least one of the components or may additionally include other components.

The bus 110 may include, for example, a circuit that connects the components 110 - 170 to each other and transmits communication (eg, a control message and/or data) between the components.

The processor 120 may include one or more of a central processing unit (CPU), an application processor (AP), and a communication processor (CP). The processor 120 may, for example, execute an operation or data processing related to control and/or communication of at least one other component of the electronic device 101 .

The memory 130 may include volatile and/or non-volatile memory. The memory 130 may store, for example, commands or data related to at least one other component of the electronic device 101 . According to one embodiment, the memory 130 may store software and/or a program 140 . Program 140 may include, for example, kernel 141 , middleware 143 , application programming interface (API) 145 , and/or application programs (or “applications”) 147 , etc. may include At least a portion of the kernel 141 , the middleware 143 , or the API 145 may be referred to as an operating system (OS).

In this document, the application may be referred to as an app or an application.

The kernel 141 is, for example, system resources (eg, middleware 143 , API 145 , or application program 147 ) used to execute an operation or function implemented in other programs (eg, middleware 143 , API 145 , or application program 147 ). : Bus 110, processor 120, memory 130, etc.) can be controlled or managed. In addition, the kernel 141 may provide an interface capable of controlling or managing system resources by accessing individual components of the electronic device 101 from the middleware 143 , the API 145 , or the application program 147 . can

The middleware 143 may, for example, play an intermediary role so that the API 145 or the application program 147 communicates with the kernel 141 to send and receive data.

Also, the middleware 143 may process one or more work requests received from the application program 147 according to priority. For example, the middleware 143 may use a system resource (eg, the bus 110 , the processor 120 , or the memory 130 ) of the electronic device 101 for at least one of the application programs 147 . You can give priority. For example, the middleware 143 may process the one or more work requests according to the priority given to the at least one, thereby performing scheduling or load balancing for the one or more work requests.

The API 145 is, for example, an interface for the application 147 to control functions provided by the kernel 141 or the middleware 143, for example, file control, window control, image processing, or text. It may include at least one interface or function (eg, a command) for control and the like.

The input/output interface 150 may serve as an interface capable of transmitting, for example, a command or data input from a user or other external device to other component(s) of the electronic device 101 . Also, the input/output interface 150 may output a command or data received from other component(s) of the electronic device 101 to a user or other external device.

Display 160 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, or microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) displays, or electronic paper displays. The display 160 may display, for example, various contents (eg, text, image, video, icon, or symbol) to the user. The display 160 may include a touch screen, and may receive, for example, a touch, gesture, proximity, or hovering input using an electronic pen or a part of the user's body.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the display 160 may be used as the same meaning as the touch screen.

The communication module 170, for example, sets up communication between the electronic device 101 and an external device (eg, the first external electronic device 102 , the second external electronic device 104 , or the server 106 ). can For example, the communication module 170 may be connected to the network 162 through wireless communication or wired communication to communicate with an external device (eg, the second external electronic device 104 or the server 106 ).

Wireless communication is, for example, a cellular communication protocol, for example, long-term evolution (LTE), LTE Advance (LTE-A), code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband CDMA (WCDMA), universal (UMTS). At least one of mobile telecommunications system), Wireless Broadband (WiBro), or Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) may be used. Also, wireless communication may include, for example, short-range communication 164 . The short-range communication 164 may include, for example, at least one of wireless fidelity (WiFi), Bluetooth, near field communication (NFC), or global navigation satellite system (GNSS). GNSS is, depending on the area or bandwidth used, for example, GPS (Global Positioning System), Glonass (Global Navigation Satellite System), Beidou Navigation Satellite System (hereinafter "Beidou") or Galileo, the European global satellite-based navigation system. It may include at least one. Hereinafter, in this document, "GPS" may be used interchangeably with "GNSS". Wired communication may include, for example, at least one of universal serial bus (USB), high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), recommended standard232 (RS-232), or plain old telephone service (POTS). The network 162 may include at least one of a telecommunications network, for example, a computer network (eg, LAN or WAN), the Internet, or a telephone network.

Each of the first and second external electronic devices 102 and 104 may be the same as or different from the electronic device 101 . According to one embodiment, server 106 may include a group of one or more servers. According to various embodiments, all or part of the operations executed by the electronic device 101 may be executed by one or a plurality of other electronic devices (eg, the electronic devices 102 and 104 , or the server 106 ). Accordingly, when the electronic device 101 is to perform a function or service automatically or upon request, the electronic device 101 performs at least some functions related thereto instead of or in addition to executing the function or service itself. may request from another device (eg, electronic device 102, 104, or server 106) The other electronic device (eg, electronic device 102, 104, or server 106) may request the requested function or The additional function may be executed and the result may be transmitted to the electronic device 101. The electronic device 101 may provide the requested function or service by processing the received result as it is or additionally. For example, cloud computing, distributed computing, or client-server computing technology may be used.

2 is a block diagram of an electronic device 201 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The electronic device 201 may include, for example, all or a part of the electronic device 101 illustrated in FIG. 1 . The electronic device 201 includes one or more processors (eg, an application processor (AP)) 210 , a communication module 220 , a subscriber identification module 224 , a memory 230 , a sensor module 240 , and an input device 250 . ), a display 260 , an interface 270 , an audio module 280 , a camera module 291 , a power management module 295 , a battery 296 , an indicator 297 , and a motor 298 . .

The processor 210 may control a plurality of hardware or software components connected to the processor 210 by, for example, driving an operating system or an application program, and may perform various data processing and operations. The processor 210 may be implemented as, for example, a system on chip (SoC). According to an embodiment, the processor 210 may further include a graphic processing unit (GPU) and/or an image signal processor. The processor 210 may include at least some of the components shown in FIG. 2 (eg, the cellular module 221 ). The processor 210 may load and process commands or data received from at least one of other components (eg, non-volatile memory) into a volatile memory, and store various data in the non-volatile memory. have.

The communication module 220 may have the same or similar configuration to the communication module 170 of FIG. 1 . The communication module 220 is, for example, a cellular module 221 , a WiFi module 223 , a Bluetooth module 225 , a GNSS module 227 (eg, a GPS module, a Glonass module, a Beidou module, or a Galileo module). , may include an NFC module 228 and a radio frequency (RF) module 229 .

The cellular module 221 may provide, for example, a voice call, a video call, a text service, or an Internet service through a communication network. According to an embodiment, the cellular module 221 may use a subscriber identification module (eg, a SIM card) 224 to identify and authenticate the electronic device 201 within a communication network. According to an embodiment, the cellular module 221 may perform at least some of the functions that the processor 210 may provide. According to an embodiment, the cellular module 221 may include a communication processor (CP).

Each of the WiFi module 223 , the Bluetooth module 225 , the GNSS module 227 , or the NFC module 228 may include, for example, a processor for processing data transmitted and received through a corresponding module. According to some embodiments, at least some (eg, two or more) of the cellular module 221 , the WiFi module 223 , the Bluetooth module 225 , the GNSS module 227 , or the NFC module 228 is one integrated chip. (IC) or contained within an IC package.

The RF module 229 may transmit and receive, for example, a communication signal (eg, an RF signal). The RF module 229 may include, for example, a transceiver, a power amp module (PAM), a frequency filter, a low noise amplifier (LNA), or an antenna. According to another embodiment, at least one of the cellular module 221, the WiFi module 223, the Bluetooth module 225, the GNSS module 227, or the NFC module 228 transmits and receives an RF signal through a separate RF module. can

The subscriber identification module 224 may include, for example, a card including a subscriber identification module and/or an embedded SIM (SIM), and may include unique identification information (eg, integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID)) or Subscriber information (eg, international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) may be included.

The memory 230 (eg, the memory 130 ) may include, for example, an internal memory 232 or an external memory 234 . The internal memory 232 may include, for example, a volatile memory (eg, dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), or synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM)), a non-volatile memory (eg, One time programmable ROM (OTPROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable and programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM), mask ROM, flash ROM, flash memory (such as NAND flash or NOR flash); It may include at least one of a hard drive and a solid state drive (SSD).

External memory 234 is a flash drive (flash drive), for example, CF (compact flash), SD (secure digital), Micro-SD (micro secure digital), Mini-SD (mini secure digital), xD (extreme) digital), a multi-media card (MMC), or a memory stick may be further included. The external memory 234 may be functionally and/or physically connected to the electronic device 201 through various interfaces.

The sensor module 240 may, for example, measure a physical quantity or sense an operating state of the electronic device 201 , and convert the measured or sensed information into an electrical signal. The sensor module 240 is, for example, a gesture sensor 240A, a gyro sensor 240B, a barometric pressure sensor 240C, a magnetic sensor 240D, an acceleration sensor 240E, a grip sensor 240F, a proximity sensor ( 240G), color sensor (240H) (e.g. RGB (red, green, blue) sensor), biometric sensor (240I), temperature/humidity sensor (240J), illuminance sensor (240K), or UV (ultra violet) sensor ) may include at least one of the sensors 240M. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor module 240 is, for example, an olfactory sensor (E-nose sensor), an electromyography sensor (EMG sensor), an electroencephalogram sensor (EEG sensor), an electrocardiogram sensor (ECG sensor) , an infrared (IR) sensor, an iris sensor, and/or a fingerprint sensor. The sensor module 240 may further include a control circuit for controlling at least one or more sensors included therein. In some embodiments, the electronic device 201 further comprises a processor configured to control the sensor module 240 , either as part of the processor 210 or separately, while the processor 210 is in a sleep state; The sensor module 240 may be controlled.

The input device 250 may include, for example, a touch panel 252 , a (digital) pen sensor 254 , a key 256 , or an ultrasonic input device ( 258) may be included. The touch panel 252 may use, for example, at least one of a capacitive type, a pressure sensitive type, an infrared type, and an ultrasonic type. Also, the touch panel 252 may further include a control circuit. The touch panel 252 may further include a tactile layer to provide a tactile response to the user.

The (digital) pen sensor 254 may be, for example, a part of a touch panel or may include a separate recognition sheet. Key 256 may include, for example, a physical button, an optical key, or a keypad. The ultrasonic input device 258 may detect an ultrasonic wave generated by an input tool through a microphone (eg, the microphone 288 ), and check data corresponding to the sensed ultrasonic wave.

The display 260 (eg, the display 160 ) may include a panel 262 , a hologram device 264 , or a projector 266 . The panel 262 may have the same or similar configuration to the display 160 of FIG. 1 . The panel 262 may be implemented as, for example, flexible, transparent, or wearable. The panel 262 may be composed of the touch panel 252 and one module. The hologram device 264 may display a stereoscopic image in the air by using light interference. The projector 266 may display an image by projecting light onto the screen. The screen may be located inside or outside the electronic device 201 , for example. According to one embodiment, the display 260 may further include a control circuit for controlling the panel 262 , the hologram device 264 , or the projector 266 .

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the display 160 including the panel 262 may have the same or similar meaning as the touch screen. That is, the touch screen may be defined to include the display 160 for displaying specific information and the panel 262 for receiving a touch input.

The interface 270 is, for example, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) 272 , a universal serial bus (USB) 274 , an optical interface 276 , or a D-subminiature (D-sub). ) (278). The interface 270 may be, for example, a communication module illustrated in FIG. 1 . Additionally or alternatively, the interface 270 may be, for example, a mobile high-definition link (MHL) interface, a secure digital (SD) card/multi-media card (MMC) interface, or an infrared (IrDA) interface. data association) standard interface.

The audio module 280 may interactively convert a sound and an electrical signal, for example. At least some components of the audio module 280 may be included in, for example, the input/output interface 145 illustrated in FIG. 1 . The audio module 280 may process sound information input or output through, for example, the speaker 282 , the receiver 284 , the earphone 286 , or the microphone 288 .

The camera module 291 is, for example, a device capable of capturing still images and moving images, and according to an embodiment, one or more image sensors (eg, a front sensor or a rear sensor), a lens, and an image signal processor (ISP). , or a flash (eg, an LED or xenon lamp, etc.).

The power management module 295 may manage power of the electronic device 201 , for example. According to an embodiment, the power management module 295 may include a power management integrated circuit (PMIC), a charger integrated circuit (IC), or a battery or fuel gauge. The PMIC may have a wired and/or wireless charging method. The wireless charging method includes, for example, a magnetic resonance method, a magnetic induction method or an electromagnetic wave method, and may further include an additional circuit for wireless charging, for example, a coil loop, a resonance circuit, or a rectifier. have. The battery gauge may measure, for example, the remaining amount of the battery 296 , voltage, current, or temperature during charging. The battery 296 may include, for example, a rechargeable battery and/or a solar battery.

The indicator 297 may display a specific state of the electronic device 201 or a part thereof (eg, the processor 210 ), for example, a booting state, a message state, or a charging state. The motor 298 may convert an electrical signal into mechanical vibration, and may generate vibration, a haptic effect, or the like. Although not shown, the electronic device 201 may include a processing unit (eg, GPU) for supporting mobile TV. The processing device for supporting mobile TV may process media data according to standards such as digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB), digital video broadcasting (DVB), or mediaFlo ^{TM , for example.}

Each of the components described in this document may be composed of one or more components, and the name of the component may vary depending on the type of the electronic device. In various embodiments, the electronic device may be configured to include at least one of the components described in this document, and some components may be omitted or may further include additional other components. In addition, since some of the components of the electronic device according to various embodiments are combined to form a single entity, the functions of the components prior to being combined may be identically performed.

3 is a block diagram of a program module according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; According to an embodiment, the program module 310 (eg, the program 140 ) is an operating system (OS) and/or an operating system that controls resources related to the electronic device (eg, the electronic device 101 ). Various applications (eg, the application program 147) running on the system may be included. The operating system may be, for example, Android, iOS, Windows, Symbian, Tizen, or bada.

The program module 310 may include a kernel 320 , middleware 330 , an application programming interface (API) 360 , and/or an application 370 . At least a portion of the program module 310 may be preloaded on the electronic device or may be downloaded from an external electronic device (eg, the electronic devices 102 and 104 , the server 106 , etc.).

The kernel 320 (eg, the kernel 141 ) may include, for example, a system resource manager 321 and/or a device driver 323 . The system resource manager 321 may control, allocate, or recover system resources. According to an embodiment, the system resource manager 321 may include a process manager, a memory manager, or a file system manager. The device driver 323 may include, for example, a display driver, a camera driver, a Bluetooth driver, a shared memory driver, a USB driver, a keypad driver, a WiFi driver, an audio driver, or an inter-process communication (IPC) driver. .

The middleware 330 provides, for example, functions commonly required by the applications 370 or provides various functions through the API 360 so that the applications 370 can efficiently use limited system resources inside the electronic device. Functions may be provided to the application 370 . According to an embodiment, the middleware 330 (eg, the middleware 143 ) includes a runtime library 335 , an application manager 341 , a window manager 342 , and a multimedia manager. ) (343), resource manager (344), power manager (345), database manager (346), package manager (347), connectivity manager (connectivity manager) ) 348 , a notification manager 349 , a location manager 350 , a graphic manager 351 , or a security manager 352 . can do.

The runtime library 335 may include, for example, a library module used by the compiler to add a new function through a programming language while the application 370 is being executed. The runtime library 335 may perform input/output management, memory management, or a function for an arithmetic function.

The application manager 341 may manage, for example, a life cycle of at least one application among the applications 370 . The window manager 342 may manage GUI resources used in the screen. The multimedia manager 343 may identify a format required for reproduction of various media files, and may encode or decode the media file using a codec suitable for the format. The resource manager 344 may manage resources such as source code, memory, or storage space of at least one of the applications 370 .

The power manager 345 may, for example, operate together with a BIOS (basic input/output system), etc. to manage a battery or power, and provide power information required for the operation of the electronic device. The database manager 346 may create, search, or change a database to be used by at least one of the applications 370 . The package manager 347 may manage installation or update of applications distributed in the form of package files.

The connection manager 348 may manage a wireless connection such as WiFi or Bluetooth, for example. The notification manager 349 may display or notify the user of events such as arrival messages, appointments, and proximity notifications in an unobtrusive manner. The location manager 350 may manage location information of the electronic device. The graphic manager 351 may manage graphic effects to be provided to the user or a user interface related thereto. The security manager 352 may provide various security functions necessary for system security or user authentication. According to an embodiment, when the electronic device (eg, the electronic device 101) includes a phone function, the middleware 330 further includes a telephony manager for managing the voice or video call function of the electronic device. can do.

The middleware 330 may include a middleware module that forms a combination of various functions of the aforementioned components. The middleware 330 may provide a specialized module for each type of operating system in order to provide a differentiated function. Also, the middleware 330 may dynamically delete some existing components or add new components.

The API 360 (eg, the API 145 ) is, for example, a set of API programming functions, and may be provided in a different configuration according to an operating system. For example, in the case of Android or iOS, one API set may be provided for each platform, and in the case of Tizen, two or more API sets may be provided for each platform.

The application 370 (eg, the application program 147 ) may include, for example, a home 371 , a dialer 372 , an SMS/MMS 373 , an instant message (IM) 374 , a browser 375 , Camera 376 , Alarm 377 , Contacts 378 , Voice Dial 379 , Email 380 , Calendar 381 , Media Player 382 , Album 383 , or Clock 384 , Health Care It may include one or more applications capable of performing a function such as health care (eg, measuring exercise amount or blood sugar) or providing environmental information (eg, providing information on air pressure, humidity, or temperature).

According to an embodiment, the application 370 is an application that supports information exchange between an electronic device (eg, the electronic device 101 ) and an external electronic device (eg, the electronic devices 102 and 104 ) For convenience, "information exchange application") may be included. The information exchange application may include, for example, a notification relay application for transmitting specific information to an external electronic device or a device management application for managing the external electronic device.

For example, the notification delivery application transmits notification information generated by another application of the electronic device (eg, an SMS/MMS application, an email application, a health management application, or an environment information application) to an external electronic device (eg, the electronic device 102 ). , 104)). Also, the notification delivery application may receive notification information from, for example, an external electronic device and provide it to the user.

The device management application is, for example, the turn-of at least one function (eg, the external electronic device itself (or some component) of the external electronic device (eg, the electronic device 102, 104) that communicates with the electronic device) Manages (eg, installs, deletes, etc.) applications running on/off or display brightness (or resolution) adjustments), applications running on external electronic devices, or services provided by external electronic devices (eg, call service or message service, etc.) , or update).

According to an embodiment, the application 370 may include an application (eg, a health management application of a mobile medical device, etc.) designated according to a property (eg, the electronic device 102 or 104 ) of the external electronic device (eg, the electronic device 102 or 104 ). According to an embodiment, the application 370 may include an application received from an external electronic device (eg, the server 106 or the electronic devices 102 and 104). may include a preloaded application or a third party application downloadable from a server The names of components of the program module 310 according to the illustrated embodiment depend on the type of the operating system. Therefore, it may vary.

According to various embodiments, at least a portion of the program module 310 may be implemented in software, firmware, hardware, or a combination of at least two or more thereof. At least a portion of the program module 310 may be implemented (eg, executed) by, for example, a processor (eg, the processor 210 ). At least a portion of the program module 310 may include, for example, a module, a program, a routine, sets of instructions, or a process for performing one or more functions.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure obtains initial coordinate information and initial capacitance information of a region (or overlapping region) corresponding to the proximity sensor region among regions of the touch screen ( S401 ).

In more detail, the electronic device may store coordinate information (or initial coordinate information) on the overlapping area in the touch screen. According to another embodiment, the electronic device may store information on the overlapping area in advance.

In addition, the electronic device according to various embodiments may include a capacitive touch screen and a capacitive proximity sensor, and may obtain and store initial capacitance information by the capacitive touch screen and the capacitive proximity sensor before an object approaches. have. In addition, when information on the overlapping region is previously stored as described above, initial capacitance information may also be stored in advance.

According to various embodiments, when initial coordinate information and initial capacitance information are obtained, the electronic device detects the proximity of an object on the touch screen using a proximity sensor ( S403 ). The proximity sensor may detect an object within a first distance from the electronic device. A driving current of a first magnitude may be applied to the proximity sensor, and a capacitance sensing field, for example, an electric field, may be formed based on the applied driving current. Here, the first distance detectable by the proximity sensor may be relatively greater than the second distance detectable by the touch screen. A current smaller than the first size may be applied to each touch sensor of the touch screen, and accordingly, the size of the capacitance sensing field that the touch screen can form may be smaller than the size of the capacitance sensing field formed by the proximity sensor. .

According to various embodiments, the proximity sensor may be disposed at a lower portion or an edge of the touch screen, and may generate a capacitance sensing field capable of detecting a change in capacitance in an upper region of the touch screen. However, the above description is merely exemplary, and there is no limitation on the location of the proximity sensor. When an object approaches an area within the proximity sensor sensing distance from the proximity sensor among the upper regions of the touch screen, the electronic device may detect a change in capacitance according to a change in the capacitance sensing field formed by the proximity sensor. When a change in capacitance is detected, the electronic device may detect that the object approaches the upper region of the touch screen in response to the change in capacitance. Meanwhile, when the object is disposed between the second distance and the first distance from the electronic device, the proximity sensor may detect the object, but the touch screen may not detect the object.

According to various embodiments, when the proximity of the object is detected, the electronic device changes the proximity detection sensitivity by the touch screen (S405).

More specifically, the electronic device may change the sensitivity of the touch screen and sense the position of a nearby object using the touch screen. More specifically, the electronic device may increase the detectable distance of the touch screen from the touch screen to the position of the object. In one embodiment, the electronic device may increase the magnitude of the driving current applied to each of the touch sensors of the touch screen. As the magnitude of the driving current increases, the magnitude of the electric field formed by the touch sensor may increase, and accordingly, an object detectable distance of the touch screen may also increase.

According to various embodiments, when the proximity sensing sensitivity of the touch screen is changed, the electronic device detects the movement of the object through the touch screen ( S407 ). As described above, as the object detectable distance by the touch screen increases, the touch screen may additionally detect the position and movement of the object while detecting the object.

More specifically, the electronic device according to various embodiments may acquire location information of a nearby object by using a touch screen in which the detectable distance is increased to the location of the object. More specifically, the electronic device may detect a capacitance change according to a change in the capacitance field formed by the touch screen, and detect at least one of a position of an object or a movement of the object in response to the change in capacitance.

According to various embodiments, the location information of the adjacent object may include coordinate information obtained by the electronic device using the touch screen, and the coordinates may be horizontal coordinates obtained using the touch screen.

When the location information of the object is obtained, the electronic device may obtain a change in the location of the adjacent object, detect the movement of the adjacent object based on the acquired location change, and recognize a gesture corresponding to the detected movement of the object. can do.

5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating an example of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

5A and 5B , the electronic device according to various embodiments may include a housing 501 and a flexible printed circuit board panel (FPCB) 502 .

The housing 501 may include a first surface and a second surface (not shown) formed in a direction different from the first surface.

The FPCB panel 502 may be disposed between the first surface 501 and the second surface of the housing. The FPCB panel 502 may include a touch screen (touch sensor and display). In addition, the FPCB panel 502 may include a proximity sensor 504 disposed at the lower portion of the touch screen (503 in FIG. 5A ) or at the edge of the touch screen (in the case of FIG. 5B ).

The proximity sensor may include a plate-shaped proximity sensor. The plate-shaped proximity sensor may be formed of copper. In a plate-shaped proximity sensor made of copper, as the width of the plate increases, the threshold of capacitance detectable by the proximity sensor increases, and the sensing distance for maintaining the same capacitance increases.

6A is a plan view of a touch screen and a proximity sensor according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

As shown in FIG. 6A , the touch screen may include a plurality of touch sensors 610a, 610b, 610c, 610d, 620a, 620b, 620c, and 620d (ITO layer, indium tin oxide) in the form of a grid.

The plurality of touch sensors may include a plurality of conductive line sensors 610a, 610b, 610c, and 610d and a plurality of sensing line sensors 620a, 620b, 620c, and 620d. The electronic device applies a current of a preset value through the plurality of conductive line sensors 610a, 610b, 610c, and 610d, and based on the applied current, through the plurality of detection line sensors 620a, 620b, 620c, and 620d A capacitance sensing field may be formed in a detectable area of the upper area of the touch screen. An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure detects a change in capacitance due to proximity of an object to a detectable area using a touch screen, and a position on an xy coordinate plane with respect to a nearby object based on the sensed change in capacitance information can be obtained.

Meanwhile, according to various embodiments, the proximity sensor may overlap at least some areas of the touch screens 610a, 610b, 610c, 610d, 620a, 620b, 620c, and 620d. The electronic device may store initial coordinate information of a partial overlapping area of the touch screen that overlaps the proximity sensor on the xy coordinate plane in advance in a memory (not shown). The electronic device may change the proximity sensitivity of the overlapping area of the touch screen when the object approaches based on pre-stored initial coordinate information. In more detail, the electronic device may increase the magnitude of the current applied to the plurality of conductive line sensors 610a, 610b, 610c, and 610d. As the magnitude of the current applied to the plurality of conductive line sensors 610a, 610b, 610c, and 610d increases, the size of the capacitance sensing field and the detectable distance may also increase. Accordingly, the electronic device may detect an object disposed at a relatively long distance based on a signal from the touch screen, and may additionally detect at least one of a position and movement of the object.

6B is a side view of a touch screen and a proximity sensor according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

As shown in FIG. 6B , the electronic device according to various embodiments may include a housing 631 , touch screens 641a, 641b, 641c, 641d, and 643 , and proximity sensors 642a, 642b, 642c, and 644 . have.

The touch screen may include a plurality of touch sensors 641a, 641b, 641c, 641d, and 643 in the form of a stacked plate. The proximity sensor may also include a plurality of proximity sensors 642a, 642b, 642c, and 644 in the form of a stacked plate.

Each of the plurality of touch sensors 641a, 641b, 641c, 641d, and 643 and each of the proximity sensors 642a, 642b, 642c, and 644 may be individually conductors constituting one capacitor.

According to various embodiments, plate-shaped first touch sensors 641a, 641b, 641c, 641d, second touch sensors 643, first proximity sensors 642a, 642b, 642c, and second proximity sensors 644 may be electrically connected to each other in series. As each of the plurality of sensors is connected in series, capacitors of each of the plurality of sensors may be connected in series. Accordingly, the sum of the capacitances of the plurality of plate-shaped sensors becomes lower than the capacitance of each sensor in inverse proportion to the number of sensors. will increase in proportion to

According to various embodiments, each of the plurality of sensors may be electrically connected to a processor (not shown) of the electronic device. The processor may detect a change in capacitance through each sensor, and detect the proximity of the object and the position of the adjacent object by using the detected change in capacitance.

According to various embodiments, each sensor is in the form of a plurality of stacked plates to offset the parasitic capacitance by each of the sensors 631 , 641 , 642 , 643 , and 644 to a preset value or less so that the processor normally detects a capacitance change can be arranged as In one embodiment, a structure for shielding may be further disposed between the plurality of plates, and thus parasitic capacitance may be reduced. The parasitic capacitance by the sensors 631, 641, 642, 643, and 644 is inversely proportional to the area A of the plate of each sensor.

According to various embodiments, the plurality of touch sensors 641a, 641b, 641c, 641d, and 643 may be connected to a first electrode and a second electrode (not shown). The first electrode or the second electrode may be formed of ITO or silver nano wire (A _g nano wire). The processor may apply a current to the plurality of touch sensors 641a, 641b, 641c, 641d, and 643 through the first electrode and the second electrode.

According to various embodiments, the plurality of proximity sensors 642a, 642b, 642c, and 644 may be connected to a third electrode and a fourth electrode (not shown) having lower resistance than the first and second electrodes. According to various embodiments, the third electrode or the fourth electrode may be formed of copper. According to various embodiments, the third electrode or the fourth electrode may be positioned on the FPCB including the touch panel. According to various embodiments, the third electrode or the fourth electrode may be formed on a shielding layer (not shown) for blocking an electric field associated with the display (eg, an electric field formed by capacitance).

The location of the proximity sensor in the electronic device may be changed according to an embodiment.

Each proximity sensor may have an area equal to or greater than an area corresponding to a threshold value of a capacitance detectable by the processor.

7 is a side view illustrating a touch screen and a proximity sensor for acquiring information on an overlapping area according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

Referring to FIG. 7 , according to various embodiments, the electronic device increases the first initial capacitance C _EV1 or the second initial capacitance by the plurality of proximity sensors 730a , 730b , 730c and 740 before the object approaches. Among the capacitances (C _{EV2 ), information on the first initial capacitance (C EV1} ) sensed in the upper region of the touch screen may be acquired, and the obtained first initial capacitance (C _EV1 ) information may be stored in a memory (not shown). .

In addition, the electronic device defines an area in which the first initial capacitance C _EV1 is sensed among the areas of the touch screen as an initial increase area (or overlapping area), and touches coordinate information on the initial increase area (or overlapping area). It can be acquired from the screen and stored in memory. Here, the initial increase area refers to an area in which capacitance is increased by the proximity sensor, and thus may be referred to as an overlapping area.

8 is a flowchart illustrating a method of acquiring information on an overlapping region according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 8 , according to various embodiments, the processor of the electronic device determines whether coordinate information of the touch screen for a proximity sensor area (overlapping area) that is an area overlapping the proximity sensor area among areas of the touch screen of the electronic device exists. It is determined (S801).

If it is determined that there is no coordinate information on the overlapping area, the processor determines whether an object adjacent to the upper area of the electronic device (touch screen) is detected ( S803 ).

When a proximate object is detected, the processor determines detection of the proximate object until the proximate object disappears and the proximity of the object is no longer detected.

When it is determined that a nearby object is not detected, the processor determines whether a change in capacitance of the touch screen is detected by the proximity sensor using the touch screen (S805).

As a result of the determination, when a change in capacitance by the proximity sensor is detected through the touch screen (S807), the processor stores coordinate information for an area on the touch screen in which the change in capacitance is sensed in the memory (S809).

9A and 9B are side views illustrating an example of a touch screen and a proximity sensor for detecting an object according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

As shown in FIG. 9A , according to various embodiments, a processor (not shown) may detect the proximity of an object using a proximity sensor 930 . In more detail, the processor may detect a change in _{the first capacitance C F1} by an object that is close within a recognition distance of the proximity sensor. _{When a change in the first capacitance C F1} through the proximity sensor 930 is detected, the processor may detect the proximity of the object.

As shown in FIG. 9B , according to various embodiments, when proximity of an object is sensed, the processor may change the proximity sensitivity of the overlapping area of the touch screen 910 . In more detail, the processor may increase the detectable distance of the touch screen 910 to a distance from the touch screen 910 to the object at a predefined distance value. More specifically, the processor may extend the capacitance sensing field formed by the touch screen 910 to the location of a nearby object.

According to various embodiments, when the proximity sensitivity of the touch screen 910 is changed, the processor may detect location information of a nearby object using the touch screen 910 having the changed proximity sensitivity. In more detail, the processor may detect a change in _{the second capacitance C F2} caused by the moving object at the touch screen recognition distance. _{When a change in the second capacitance C F2} through the touch screen 910 is detected, the processor _{based on the change in the second capacitance C F2} detects the position information of the object and the movement of the object according to the change in position. have.

10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an object detection method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 10 , according to various embodiments, the processor detects a change in capacitance according to proximity of an object through a proximity sensor ( S1001 ).

When a change in capacitance through the proximity sensor is detected, the processor changes the proximity sensing sensitivity of the touch screen on the proximity sensor corresponding area ( S1003 ).

When the proximity sensing sensitivity of the touch screen is changed, the processor detects movement of an object on the proximity sensor corresponding area using the touch screen (S1005).

When the movement of the object is detected, the processor recognizes a gesture according to the movement of the object (S1009).

11 is a side view illustrating another example of a touch screen and a proximity sensor for detecting an object according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

_{11 , according to various embodiments, the processor may detect a change in capacitance C F1} according to the proximity of an object that is close within a recognition distance of the proximity sensor using the proximity sensor.

_{Upon detecting a change in the capacitance C F1} according to the proximity of the object, the processor may change the proximity sensing sensitivity of the overlapping area of the touch screen 1110 .

When the proximity sensing sensitivity of the touch screen is changed, the processor changes between the initial capacitance of the overlapping region stored in advance before the proximity of the object and the current capacitance C _{21 obtained using the touch screen 1110 according to the proximity of the object.} can detect The size of the current capacitance C ₂₁ may be greater than the initial capacitance. The electronic device may determine the position or movement information of the object based on a signal from the touch screen area in which the _{current capacitance C 21 is increased.}

The touch screen may detect a movement of an object according to a result of comparing the change in capacitance caused by the touch screen 1110 , and may recognize a gesture based on the detected movement of the object.

12 is a flowchart illustrating another example of an object detection method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 12 , the processor detects a change in capacitance according to proximity of an object through a proximity sensor ( S1001 ). When a change in capacitance according to proximity of an object is sensed, the processor may change proximity sensitivity for an overlapping area of the touch screen.

According to various embodiments, when the proximity sensitivity of the touch screen is changed, the processor compares the current capacitance of the capacitance sensed using the changed touch screen in the proximity sensitivity and a pre-stored initial capacitance ( S1205 ).

The processor detects the movement of the object according to the comparison result of the initial capacitance and the current capacitance sensed using the touch screen (S1207).

When the movement of the object is detected, the processor recognizes a gesture according to the movement of the object (S1009).

13 is a plan view illustrating a touch screen for detecting a position of an object according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

As shown in FIG. 13 , according to various embodiments, the electronic device (or processor) (not shown) sets the location information 1332 of an object (hand) sensed using a proximity sensor (not shown) to determine the proximity sensitivity. It can be detected using the overlapped area 1331 of the changed touch screens 1311 and 1312 .

The location information 1332 may be sensed through the grid-type sensors 1311 and 1312 of the touch screen. The location information 1332 may include planar coordinate information on the location of the object (hand).

14 is a plan view illustrating a touch screen for sensing movement of an object according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

As shown in FIG. 14 , according to various embodiments, the electronic device (or processor) may detect location information of an object using a plurality of grid-type sensors 1411 and 1412 . When the object (hand) sensed in the first position 1432 is moved to the second position 1433 , the processor detects the movement of the object (hand) using a plurality of grid-type sensors 1411 and 1412 of the touch screen. and a gesture (a gesture of moving the hand from right to left) corresponding to the detected movement of the object (hand) may be recognized.

15 is a side view illustrating an electronic device further including a pressure sensor according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

15 , according to various embodiments, the electronic device may further include a housing 1501 , a touch screen 1510 , a proximity sensor 1530 , and a pressure sensor 1540 .

The pressure sensor 1540 may be disposed in a lower region of the proximity sensor 1530 . Also, unlike FIG. 15 , the pressure sensor may be disposed between the proximity sensor 1530 and the touch screen 1510 .

The pressure sensor 1540 may include a capacitive pressure sensor. The processor may detect the intensity (or pressure) of an input by an object adjacent to the housing 1501 by using a capacitive pressure sensor, and if the intensity of an input by the object is greater than a preset intensity, the object is recognized as being close. can The capacitive pressure sensor may be connected to the fifth electrode and the sixth electrode, and the processor determines the intensity of input by the object based on a change in capacitance formed between the fifth electrode and the sixth electrode connected to both ends of the capacitive pressure sensor. can detect

16A is a block diagram illustrating an example of a detailed structure of a processor according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 16A , the processor of the electronic device may include a sensor controller 1603 and an AP 1604 .

According to various embodiments, the sensor controller 1603 may be electrically connected to the touch screen 1601 and the proximity sensor 1602 , and may be electrically connected to an application processor (AP) 1604 of the electronic device. The sensor controller 1603 detects the proximity of an object based on a proximity sensor sensing signal received from the proximity sensor 1602 , and changes the proximity sensitivity of the touch screen 1601 in response to detecting the proximity of the object, and the changed proximity A touch sensor sensing signal by the touch screen 1601 may be received according to the sensitivity. The sensor controller 1603 may detect movement of an object and a gesture of an object based on the received touch sensor sensing signal, and transmit the detected result to the AP 1604 in the form of data under the control of the AP 1604 . .

16B is a block diagram illustrating another example of a detailed structure of a processor according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 16B , the processor of the electronic device may further include a touch sensor controller 1613 , an AP 1614 , and a proximity sensor controller 1615 .

According to various embodiments, the proximity sensor controller 1615 may be provided in the electronic device separately from the touch sensor controller 1613 . The proximity sensor controller 1615 may be electrically connected to the proximity sensor 1612 and the AP 1614 . The proximity sensor controller 1615 may receive a proximity sensor sensing signal for object proximity received from the proximity sensor 1612 . When the proximity sensor sensing signal is received, the proximity sensor controller 1615 may detect the proximity of the object based on the received sensing signal. When the proximity of the object is detected, the proximity sensor controller 1615 may transmit the detection result to the AP 1614 in the form of data under the control of the AP 1614 .

An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure includes a touch screen; a proximity sensor overlapping a partial area of the touch screen; and detecting the proximity of the object located on the upper portion of the touch screen using the proximity sensor, changing the proximity sensitivity of the overlapping area of the touch screen, and detecting the position of the object using the changed touch screen in the proximity sensitivity It includes a processor configured to

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor increases the sensing distance of the object in the overlapping area of the touch screen to a distance from the touch screen to the object.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the touch screen includes a plurality of touch sensors, and the processor obtains location information of the object using signals from the plurality of touch sensors.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor obtains location information corresponding to the location of the adjacent object by using the plurality of touch sensors.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor detects a movement of the object based on a change in the obtained position information of the object, and recognizes a gesture corresponding to the movement of the identified object.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the proximity sensor is located below or at an edge of the touch screen.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the proximity sensor includes a plurality of stacked plate-type proximity sensors electrically connected in parallel to each other.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, each of the plate-shaped proximity sensors has an area corresponding to a sensitivity threshold detectable by the processor.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the proximity sensor includes a capacitive proximity sensor, and the processor acquires a change in a first capacitance according to the proximity of the object using the capacitive proximity sensor, and the obtained A proximity of the object is sensed in response to a first capacitance change.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the touch screen includes a capacitive touch screen, and the processor acquires a change in second capacitance according to proximity of the object using the capacitive touch screen, and the obtained The position of the object is sensed in response to a change in the second capacitance.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the touch screen includes a capacitive touch screen, and the processor uses the capacitive touch screen after the second capacitance sensed in advance before the proximity of the object and the proximity of the object A third capacitance difference sensed is obtained, and the position of the object is sensed in response to the obtained capacitance difference.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the device may further include a pressure sensor overlapping a partial region of the touch screen, wherein the processor detects proximity of the object using a signal from the pressure sensor.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the pressure sensor is disposed between the touch screen and the proximity sensor or below the proximity sensor.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a housing comprising: a housing including a first surface and a second surface facing in a direction opposite to the first surface; a display exposed through the first surface; A touch panel disposed between the display and the second surface, the touch panel comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, based on a change in capacitance formed between the first electrode and the second electrode, a touch panel for calculating plane coordinates of a user input to the display; and a third electrode and a fourth electrode, wherein the electrostatic capacity measures a proximity between the first surface of the housing and an external object based on a change in capacitance formed between the third electrode and the fourth electrode It is characterized in that it includes an expression sensor.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the capacitive sensor is positioned on the display or the touch panel.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the capacitive sensor is at least partially overlapped with the display or the touch panel.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the capacitive sensor is disposed between at least a portion of the touch panel and the second surface.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the capacitive sensor is positioned at an edge of the display or touch panel.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the capacitive sensor is adjacent to one side of the display and adjacent to the first surface.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, further comprising a processor for controlling the touch panel, wherein the capacitive sensor is electrically connected to at least a portion of the processor.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, it further includes an FPCB layer including the display and the touch panel, wherein the third electrode or the fourth electrode is positioned on the FPCB layer.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, it controls the display and the touch panel, characterized in that it further comprises a processor located in the FPCB.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the third electrode or the fourth electrode is formed on a shielding layer for blocking an electric field related to the display.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the third electrode or the fourth electrode is positioned on a different plate from the plate including the display or the touch panel.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the third electrode or the fourth electrode is formed of a material having a lower resistance than that of the first electrode or the second electrode.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, the third electrode or the fourth electrode is characterized in that copper.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, the first electrode or the second electrode is characterized in that ITO or silver nanowires.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, it includes a fifth electrode and a sixth electrode, and determines the intensity of a user input to the display based on a change in capacitance formed between the fifth electrode and the sixth electrode. It characterized in that it further comprises a pressure sensor.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the pressure sensor is adjacent to the capacitive sensor.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the pressure sensor is positioned between the display and the capacitive sensor.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the pressure sensor is positioned between the capacitive sensor and the second surface.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the fifth electrode or the sixth electrode is positioned on the same layer as the third electrode or the fourth electrode.

As used herein, the term “module” may refer to, for example, a unit including one or a combination of two or more of hardware, software, and firmware. The term “module” may be used interchangeably with terms such as, for example, unit, logic, logical block, component, or circuit. A “module” may be a minimum unit or a part of an integrally configured component. A “module” may be a minimum unit or a part of performing one or more functions. A “module” may be implemented mechanically or electronically. For example, a "module" is one of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or programmable-logic device that performs certain operations, known or to be developed in the future. It may include at least one.

At least a portion of an apparatus (eg, modules or functions thereof) or a method (eg, operations) according to various embodiments is, for example, a computer-readable storage medium in the form of a program module It can be implemented as a command stored in . When the instruction is executed by a processor (eg, the processor 120), the one or more processors may perform a function corresponding to the instruction. The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, the memory 130 .

Computer-readable recording media include hard disks, floppy disks, magnetic media (eg, magnetic tape), optical media (eg, compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM), DVD ( digital versatile disc), magneto-optical media (such as floppy disk), hardware devices (such as read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), or flash memory, etc.) ), etc. In addition, the program instructions may include not only machine language codes such as those generated by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc. The above-described hardware device includes various It may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the embodiments, and vice versa.

A module or a program module according to various embodiments may include at least one or more of the above-described components, some may be omitted, or may further include additional other components. Operations performed by a module, a program module, or other components according to various embodiments may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or in a heuristic manner. Also, some operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or other operations may be added. And, the embodiments disclosed in this document are presented for explanation and understanding of the disclosed and technical content, and do not limit the scope of the technology described in this document. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be construed to include all modifications or various other embodiments based on the technical spirit of the present invention.

Claims (32)

a touch screen including a plurality of touch sensors;
a proximity sensor overlapping a portion of the touch screen; and
In response to detecting the proximity of an object located on the upper portion of the touch screen using the proximity sensor, the detectable distance of the touch screen is increased by increasing the driving current applied to the plurality of touch sensors of the touch screen. and a processor configured to change the proximity sensitivity of the touch screen to increase, and to identify the location of the object using the touch screen based on the changed proximity sensitivity.
The method of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises:
An electronic device for increasing a sensing distance of an object in the overlapping area of the touch screen to a distance from the touch screen to the object by increasing the driving current applied to the plurality of touch sensors of the touch screen.
The method of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises:
An electronic device for obtaining location information corresponding to the location of the object by using signals from the plurality of touch sensors.
delete 4. The method of claim 3,
The processor identifies the movement of the object based on a change in the acquired location information, and recognizes a gesture corresponding to the movement of the identified object.
According to claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor,
An electronic device comprising a plurality of stacked plate-shaped proximity sensors positioned at a lower portion or an edge of the touch screen, electrically connected to each other in parallel.
delete 7. The method of claim 6,
Each of the plate-shaped proximity sensors has an area corresponding to a sensitivity threshold detectable by the processor.
The method of claim 1,
The proximity sensor includes a capacitive proximity sensor,
The processor obtains a change in a first capacitance according to the proximity of the object by using the capacitive proximity sensor, and detects the proximity of the object in response to the acquired change in the first capacitance.
10. The method of claim 9,
The touch screen includes a capacitive touch screen,
The processor obtains a change in a second capacitance according to proximity of the object using the capacitive touch screen, and identifies a location of the object in response to the obtained change in the second capacitance.
10. The method of claim 9,
The touch screen includes a capacitive touch screen,
The processor obtains a difference between a second capacitance sensed in advance before the proximity of the object and a third capacitance sensed after the proximity of the object by using the capacitive touch screen, and corresponds to the obtained capacitance difference. An electronic device that identifies the location of an object.
The method of claim 1,
A pressure sensor overlapping a partial area of the touch screen and disposed between the touch screen and the proximity sensor or below the proximity sensor,
The processor is an electronic device for detecting the proximity of the object using a signal from the pressure sensor.
delete In an electronic device,
a housing comprising a first surface and a second surface facing in a direction opposite to the first surface;
a display exposed through the first surface;
A touch panel disposed between the display and the second surface,
the touch panel includes a first electrode and a second electrode, and based on a change in capacitance formed between the first electrode and the second electrode, a touch panel for calculating planar coordinates of a user input to the display;
The touch panel partially overlaps and includes a third electrode and a fourth electrode, and based on a change in capacitance formed between the third electrode and the fourth electrode, the first surface of the housing and an external object a capacitive sensor that measures the proximity between them; and
A processor for controlling the touch panel,
In response to detecting the proximity of the external object using a capacitive sensor electrically connected to at least a part of the processor, the processor receives a current applied to the touch panel through the first electrode and the second electrode. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the proximity sensitivity of the touch panel is changed so that a detectable distance of the touch panel is increased by increasing the proximity sensitivity, and the position of the external object is identified using the touch panel with the changed proximity sensitivity.
15. The method of claim 14,
The capacitive sensor is an electronic device, characterized in that located on the display or the touch panel.
delete 15. The method of claim 14,
The capacitive sensor is disposed between at least a portion of the touch panel and the second surface.
15. The method of claim 14,
The capacitive sensor is an electronic device, characterized in that located on the edge of the display or the touch panel.
19. The method of claim 18,
The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the capacitive sensor is adjacent to the first surface of the display and the housing.
delete 15. The method of claim 14,
Further comprising a FPCB layer comprising the display and the touch panel,
The third electrode or the fourth electrode is located on the FPCB layer,
The processor controls the display and the touch panel, and is located in the FPCB.
delete 15. The method of claim 14,
The third electrode or the fourth electrode is an electronic device, characterized in that formed on a shielding layer for blocking the electric field associated with the display.
15. The method of claim 14,
The display and the touch panel are located on the first plate,
The third electrode or the fourth electrode is positioned on a second plate different from the first plate.
15. The method of claim 14,
The third electrode or the fourth electrode forms a lower resistance than the resistance of the first electrode or the second electrode, and is formed of copper,
The first electrode or the second electrode is an electronic device, characterized in that formed of ITO or silver nanowires.
delete delete 15. The method of claim 14,
Further comprising a pressure sensor comprising a fifth electrode and a sixth electrode, and determining the intensity of a user input to the display based on a change in capacitance formed between the fifth electrode and the sixth electrode,
wherein the pressure sensor is adjacent to the capacitive sensor.
delete 29. The method of claim 28,
The pressure sensor is positioned between the display and the capacitive sensor.
29. The method of claim 28,
The pressure sensor is positioned between the capacitive sensor and the second surface.
29. The method of claim 28,
The fifth electrode or the sixth electrode is located on the same layer as the third electrode or the fourth electrode.

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